title: Head and neck cancer surgery in the elderly: outcome evaluation with the McPeek score.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is international consensus that elderly patients with head and neck cancer should be treated curatively, like younger patients. Because of common comorbidities in elderly patients, perioperative complications are likely. The McPeek postoperative outcome score was used to evaluate the success of surgical interventions in patients with head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 168 patients in the study (56 in the study group, 75 years of age or more; and 112 in the control group, less than 60 years of age). All patients underwent major surgery for head and neck cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median McPeek scores were 8 in the study group and 9 in the control group (p = 0.04). Regression analysis revealed that neither age (p = 0.085) nor the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status score (p = 0.342) were independent predictors of the McPeek score. Synchronous surgical interventions (p = 0.00051) and duration of surgery (p = 0.0015) had a significant impact on McPeek score performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The McPeek score seems to be an appropriate tool for comparing major surgeries for head and neck cancer in different age groups. It is possible to assess the influence of anesthetic and surgical interventions and complications that affect the length of hospitalization. The results confirm that the overall complication rate after surgery in elderly patients does not differ significantly from that in their younger counterparts. Therefore, extended surgical treatment should be offered to both age groups when no serious comorbidities are present. The postoperative outcome seems to depend on the duration and extent of the surgical intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sesterhenn
authors.forename: Tobias L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Schotte
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bauhofer
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Timmesfeld
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiegand
authors.forename: Jochen A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Andranik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ovassapian
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torossian
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome